martes, 16 de septiembre de 2014

A single paragraph

Amazon has every right to refuse to sell consumer goods in response to a pricing disagreement with a wholesaler.

Authors United Open Letter to Amazon's board

But, of course, for books. Because, again, the wannabe pseudopoet waking me up early in the weekend is more worthy of respect than a retired iron foundry hand. Or a musician. Or a painter.

Author's United last salvo is a Child's firework gone dud. At best. Even considering that US law is, as seen from here, pretty lenient about public disclosure of private data.

And AU keeps insisting that they're THE main product Hachette sells. Meanwhile, they keep insisting that Traditional Publishing (imagine, since I couldn't find it, the bagpipe entrance in 'Dead Poet's Society': Tradition! Excellence!) can do all those other things. You know, all those things that make up for that 85% of income: covers and packaging, editing, manufacturing (aka. printing and binding), distribution...

Things that, by and large, legacy publishing fails to do properly and that, by and large, are exactly the same than for razor blades or shoes.

AU doesn't agree, of course:

We all appreciate discounted razor blades and cheaper shoes. But books are not consumer goods. Books cannot be written more cheaply, nor can authors be outsourced to China. Books are not toasters or televisions. Each book is the unique, quirky creation of a lonely, intense, and often expensive struggle on the part of a single individual, a person whose living depends on his or her book finding readers. This is the process Amazon is obstructing.

That paragraph has so many lies that it can grant you a couple of eternities in Purgatory. Sentence by sentence:

  • We all appreciate discounted razor blades and cheaper shoes. You do. Not everyone does. Like, say, shoemakers and ironsmiths, and their families and providers, and those providers' families. And that's your equivalent in those industries. Or industrial iron bluecollar workers, if you want a modern equivalent. And, Mr. Preston, any of those work harder than you do for every single dollar they bring home.

  • But books are not consumer goods. No? Then how did this come to be? It's been a month and a half since its release! And, sir, those are books. Not your kind of books, but books nonetheless. The IRS and SCOTUS (and publishers) also disagree, since this has been amply applied to books (and, in the meantime, cut the incentive for new writers' career development; not that this worries you the slightest, does it, Mr. Preston?).

  • Books cannot be written more cheaply, nor can authors be outsourced to China. Yes, they can, and several in your "supporting writers list" are known to use it.

    Also, again, there's more to publishing that writing. Right to my side, there's a book I printed myself (yes, with author's permission), an exhibition booklet without printing data (that I can see), and seven books that, on page 2, after authors' acknowledgements, copyrights and LoC data, have a last sentence before turning page: "Printed in China".

  • Books are not toasters or televisions. This is either obvious or dumb. Coming from Mr. Preston, probably both.

  • Each book is the unique, quirky creation of a lonely, intense, and often expensive struggle on the part of a single individual, a person whose living depends on his or her book finding readers. So, there are no collaborations. At all. Each book, single individual. From the man with a score of books with Lincoln Child. Sir, you lie. Feel free to demmand satisfaction, but I'll choose the weapon.

  • This is the process Amazon is obstructing. Which one? The real one or your Frankenstein of an idea? Also, there's an easy way to solve this: have Hachette provide a clear answer. Either 'yes' or 'no'. Agree or pull the books, it doesn't matter to me. The "obstruction" would cease.
A single paragraph. If I had to do the same with the whole piece... I'd have to charge you for it. Maybe that's it, and they want to win by exhaustion. But... we are legion. Readers have that, you know...

Take care.

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